


Safe Space

by dnd_beyond



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Aftg Holiday Zine 2018, Christmas Fluff, Die Hard is a Christmas movie fight me, M/M, Movie References, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 07:07:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16445150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dnd_beyond/pseuds/dnd_beyond
Summary: Neil gets a peaceful Christmas, for once in his life.Written for the AFTG Winter Zine 2018





	Safe Space

**Author's Note:**

> It's been so long since I've uploaded.... I'm so sorry.... anyway have this lame one shot

Neil's Christmases have historically not gone well. For most of his time on the run, Mary didn't have time to stop and do anything for the annual celebration. Neil grew up not believing in Santa Claus, simply because he wasn't given the chance.   
The only other Christmas he spent away from his mother was with the Ravens. Of course, he was infinitely grateful to Jean for practically saving his life, counting that as Christmas gift enough, but it was more of a boot camp than a holiday.   
This year though, this year is different. Riko is gone, there are no mysterious threats to get him to come to the ravens, the threat of his father no longer hangs over his head. 

Neil wakes up practically half off his bed. This doesn't happen often, but he must have had a dream to have moved that much in his sleep. He can hear a commotion from the common area, so presumably Matt must be getting up to breakfast. Neil crawls out of his covers and flings them back onto the bed when they slid off with him by accident. He throws on a sweater over his pyjamas, feeling a little chilly despite the heater being on.   
Matt greets him with a sunny smile upon Neil's entrance. Dan, who happens to be there as well, gives Neil a small wave. Neil nods back his acknowledgement. 

"Hey Neil," Matt starts, "we were thinking of just like, marathoning Christmas movies all day, cause most of us don't do presents and stuff." Neil grunts out what sounds like an 'and?'. "Well," Matt continues, "it'd be pretty cool if you could wrangle the monsters into coming to join us. I mean- you don't have to, but we thought it'd be a good idea."   
Neil shrugs. "I'll ask Andrew. When are you starting?"   
Matt shrugs in reply, "like, in an hour or something. Allison and Renee are on their way over already."   
Neil grabs a protein bar on his way out the door. 

By all intents and purposes Andrew is still sleeping when Neil knocks on his door. It's Aaron who answers, and almost closes the door in Neil's face when Nicky catches sight of him.   
"Neil!" He shouts across the room, and Aaron sighs and opens the door again, retreating back to his room. "What're you here for so early? Wait, let me guess. Something with Andrew?"   
"Something with all of you actually," Neil responds, and Nicky perks up. "Matt wanted me to invite you guys to do a Christmas movie marathon today in liaison of no presents."   
A big grin spreads across his face, and he turns towards Aaron's room to retrieve him. "You get Andrew, I'll get Aaron. I'll text Kevin too, wherever he's at now."   
Neil pushes open Andrew's door cautiously, with a mild fear of something getting thrown at him. Andrew, in actuality, is sound asleep, despite the beams of sunlight pouring through his window. Neil lets himself have a soft smile at the sight of his boyfriend, a pleasant warm feeling bubbling up in his chest, which Neil purposefully ignored. He goes and sits by the side of the bed, eye level with Andrew's face. He reaches up to run his hand through the blond's hair, which causes Andrew to stir. It's a miracle Andrew doesn't react violently, but there must be something in him that recognizes Neil's touch, because he only wakes up with a scowl.  
"What do you want, junkie." Andrew grumbles. He closes his eyes, but he doesn't fall asleep again.   
"We're gonna marathon some movies today, Matt and Nicky said to come and get you." Neil explains.  
Andrew's scowl only deepens. "No way."   
Neil thinks for a second, before replying, "you can ignore the movies and sleep on me if you want." That gives Andrew pause, then he grumbles and drags himself out of bed. He clings onto Neil in an early morning spurt of affection behind the privacy of a closed door, before Neil makes him get dressed. 

By the time they get back to the room, everyone is there. Kevin even arrived before Neil and Andrew, probably thanks to Nicky's forewarning. Various other types of funky furniture had been dragged into Neil and Matt's dorm to accommodate for the rest of the foxes, including multiple beanbag chairs. Andrew squishes himself between the couch's armrest and Neil.   
"Hey, we should watch Nightmare Before Christmas," Allison offers, and a few sparse agreements are heard.   
"Die Hard." Andrew throws in, surprisingly, and get's a few odd looks.   
"Die Hard isn't even a Christmas movie," Matt protests, but Kevin swivels from his chair to face him.   
"Yes it is, you ass."   
Matt looks vaguely amused, before just loading up the TV. "We'll start with Nightmare Before Christmas, then we'll do Die Hard, and decide from there."   
"Die Hard 2 and 3," Andrew replies quietly, but only Neil hears him.   
Popcorn and drinks are provided courtesy of Matt and Dan, and for once, they're all settled. 

\---

The marathon goes smoothly, for any event the foxes can do with little issue. It's fairly late, and everyone's stuffed full of pizza when Matt decides it's time to kick everyone out of the dorm so he can actually go to sleep. Nicky and Renee are sharing his mattress, and Matt kind of needs that back.   
Before Andrew heads out the door, Neil motions over to him. Andrew tells Aaron and Nicky to go back to the dorm without him. Aaron proceeds to go ahead as instructed, but Nicky says or does something that Neil can't see that earns him a sharp jab on the arm from Andrew, followed by an "alright, alright, I'm going!" 

Andrew follows Neil into his bedroom. He stands there, door closed behind him, in complete silence, waiting for whatever Neil was going to get on with. Neil pulls out a thin slip of paper from his night desk drawer, folds it in half, and hands it to Andrew. Neil's been thinking about this for a while. He doesn't celebrate Christmas, and he doubts Andrew does either, but he wanted to do something special for his first winter holiday in a safe place, with the boy he loves.   
Andrew unfolds the paper, revealing a short string of numbers.   
He seems to recognize it when he quirks an eyebrow up at him. "Your safe combination?" Neil nods. Neil remembers the key Andrew gave him, the trust, everything Neil needed. This is Neil offering the last of his secrets to the only person he's willing to give them to. Andrew seems to understand that, in his own way.   
"Yes or no?" Andrew asks, his only response.   
"Yes," Neil replies. It's always yes with Andrew. 


End file.
